Tauranga Sepr. 13 1870 My dear Mr McLean I have received a lot of letters from you by this mail - for which I am very thankful - I deeply feel your sympathy on account of the loss we have sustained in the death of one of my sisters - From last news received from the Bay my father and mother are bearing to report proceedings - But I trust we shall have peace - at any rate we must do our best to maintain it. let the aggression come from the otherside - From all I can gather the Urewera are very ''bitter in their feeling against Waikato, because they did not help them in their day of tribulation I hope to be back in Auckland by the end of next week - We feel the loss of steam communication very much - Very faithfully yours Hy. T. Clarke Te Whenuanui has written to me for 2 shawls and 1 shirt. I will send them to him - they won't cost much and they may do good. their bereavement wonderfully well - I send you back the copy of the letter written by one of Mr. Gillies' Tauranga correspondents with a minute of my own Mr. Norris is the writer a cousin of mine and as big an ass as you would meet in a days journey - I wish I had seen this letter a week ago I would not have paid him his road account. The very best stroke of policy we have pursued with regard to the Mangorewa forest road is stigmatised as ''mad folly on the part of the Government'' by this wiseacre. If we had allowed the thing to rest we should never have got the work done and all our political standing enforced by our late successes would have gradually declined and the ''mana'' of the King etc. would have been thrown in our way as barriers to progress. If Mr. Norris is a specimen of the people who are singing out I am not alarmed - You may tell Mr. Gillies all this if you please - I cannot say a word about the Telegraph men. I have also sent you back the notes respecting Mair - I have been quite aware that Kelly has been writing what he has done. Wilson is one of the party and it is a saying of theirs ''we have done for Mair'' and that is quite enough to set me against them - Why it is self evident that it is a ''Naboth's vinyard'' affair they want the place where you placed the natives for a flax drying ground there is plenty of room for both - I do not say that Mair is quite living as correctly as he should do - I do not speak of my own knowledge but from rumour - and when a favorable opportunity occurs I will speak to him of it - If you are not satisfied remove him to Waikato and send Searancke there and see what six months will bring forth. I can see a great deal and on my word of honor I assure you that I believe Mair is ''sinned against more than sinning'' - I am deeply grieved that Mair should have anything to do with a Maori woman. It will lessen him in the eyes of a censorious public as well as reduce his own self respect - I should like to save him by sending him to Waikato if we can only find someone to take his place - I feel sure that is one great reason why he did not wish to go back to Opotiki - I write to you quite confidentially on this matter as I know you wish me to be quite free with you in thus expressing my opinion. Very many thanks for sending Hamlin you don't know what a relief it is to me. I got your Telegrams last night about telegraph between Tupuaeharuru and Rotorua - I start for Maketu and Rotorua tomorrow - Hamlin goes with me - One your fellows - at least Preece has been acting very injudiciously by arresting Hoani Paiaka the chief who has been acting as Messenger between ourselves and the Urewera - I had him released at once I am going to hold an enquiry tomorrow - I know exactly how it is - The Urewera would rather surrender to the Ngatiwhakane - the other hapus are jealous - and the Ngatiawa are jealous and a pretty state of intrigue the whole business is involved in. However I hope to set it all right - the Ngatiwhakane consider the arrest of Hoani whilst their guest, and actually on his way to see me as a studied insult to themselves - I have received some strange letters purporting (one of them) to come from Waikato intimating that the King party ''is about to sow a bag of sorrel seed to spoil every ''marae'' - I will send the letters to which I refer officially - There is a small party of Ngatiwhakane headed by Petera Pukuatua on a visit to Te Kuiti - Before they left the Ohinemutu Chiefs held a meeting and questioned the Waikato messengers as to the purport of the invitation whether it was a continuation of the peace you had initiated with Tawheao - They replied No - Hei aha tera - that this was a purely native matter ''Te maui ano ki te maui te katau ano ki te Katau'' the Ngatiwhakane chiefs directly replied - that it was not marama ''e kore e pai kia wihea ahau i toku matua'' I hope to meet Petera at Ohinemutu and I will furnish a full report. Rewi Tereanuku went with them at my request